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PAGE 4; WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1982, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of the County Town r Published every Wednesday s Michael lan Burgess, Publisher - Managing Editor The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-6111 The Free Press Building, 131 Brock Street North, P.O. Box-206, Whitby, Ont. MICHAEL J. KNELL Community Editor MARJORIE A. BURGESS Advertising Manager Second Class Mail Registration No. 5351 Tampermg with the tender process is not the best way to protect the interests of the taxpayers There is quite a debate brewing in the corridors of the Whitby Municipal Building these days con- cerning the collection and disposal of garbage. It seems that there are a lot of people who want to maintain the status quo while others are pushing for what may turn out to be a more effi- cient and progressive method of garbage collec- tion. At its meeting last night, Whitby Town Council was expected to give its seal of approval to a report by Public Works Director Dick Kuwahara that recommends the town adopt a four-day collection service beginning this November. (The results of council's deliberations were not known until after this edition of the Free Press went to press and will be reported in next week's issue.) Kuwahara maintains that this four-day collec- tion service will afford council the opportunity to provide regular maintenance on the garbage trucks thereby giving them longer life and smaller repairbills. This sounds fair enough. In fact, the entire concept of the four-day ser- vice may indeed prove itself to be worthwhile. The director also maintains that with a total municipal collection service, his department will Mainstream Canada Storm-clouds on postal horizon By W. Roger Worth Last year, Canadians were told that turning the Post Office into a* Crown Corporation would produce miracles. The mail would go through (un- daínaged), people would get real value for the stamps they placed on letters and union- management problems would be rectified. So far, $150,000-per-year miracle worker Michael Warren, the new chief mailperson since last summer, hasn't*lived up to the rave reviews he received before taking the joo. The mail service is still slow, first-class letter rates have leaped to 30 cents from 17 cents and the Ottawa rumor mill be- lieves another increase is in the works. But it's the union situation that is really intriguing. After winning a trend-setting 17 weeks of paid maternity leave for the $23,000 per year women postal workers in the last agreement, union president Jean-Claude Parrot is convinced he's onto a good thing. In his latest pronouncement, Parrot says the union is seeking nine months of fully-paid maternity leave for both men and women. Yes, that's a full nine months for both sexes. Now most Canadians would consider such a proposai ridicu- lous. Yet Employment Minister Lloyd Axworthy is seriously considering the bid. Still, the posties won't get the nine months maternity leave (just imagine having a bored father sitting around the house for that length of time). Nevertheless, the postal workers do have some real problems. Parrot contends, for example, that new postal workers aren't included on the officiai payroll for six months. What's worse, postal manage- ment admits this is the case, which surely says something about efficiency and produc- tivity in the executive ranks. Given the seemingly endless war of words, errors and mayhem in general, the hope for better mail service at reason- able rates is not bright. There's little wonder, then, that Stork Courier System does a booming business delivering new Canadians. If they arrived by mail. Parrot would un- doubtedly be seeking 10months maternity leave, for both men and women. CFIB Feature Service have better control of the service and will be able to implement improvements and changes at any time needed, not just when the contract comes up. This may also prove itself a benefit to the tax- payer. Opponents to the idea say that private enter- prises could do a better job and would indeed be less expensive. However, Kuwahara believes that he can provide the service just as cheaply as any private contractor. He made these claims in his report altiough we will not known its accuracy un- til he has run the service for a year. This publication is as pro-free enterprise as it ever has been, but we must, point out that many of Kuwahara's arguments are not only valid, but must be acted upon. When the bottom line is tax- payers' dolars and council's control (given, hope- fully, in the best interests of the taxpayers), then his recommendations should be acted upon. One event that did disturb this newspaper is Regional Councillor Gerry Emm's attempt to tam- per with the tendering process. Emm, quite understandably, wanted to see the contract for apartment building garbage collec- tion awarded to the local firm of T. Puckrin and Sons Limited. However, this firm's bid was $1,723 greater than that of the awardee Browning-Ferris Industries Limited. Emm asked whether or not some allowance should have been made for Canadian content sin- ce Browning-Ferris is an American firm. His emotional.arguments are well taken. This contract should go to a Canaidan (and preferably local) firm. However, we live in a time of fiscal restrairt and the cost of each 'service provided must be a minimum. The successful bidder will provide a service to the taxpayer at a lower cost. That's the bottom line, not the nationality of the firm involved. Many people will accuse this publication of supporting a move "to take the, bread out of the mouths of honest folk," however, the right to pro- vide the service is dependant upon the price and the price apparently isn't good enough in this case. It is for this same reason that many Canadians purchase Japanese cars. These vehicles not only cost less to buy, but burn less fuel. Many Cana- dians would surely prefer to buy the car their neighbour helped to build, but cannot do so because of the economic considerations. We expect this issue to haunt the taxpayers of the Town of Whitby for some time to come, no matter what Whitby Town Council did last night. In fact, we will probably still be hearing about it come election time. Accepting the argument that free enterprise can do things cheaper than government in all cases is to make a broad sweeping statement that may not hold true in all cases. One thing that should be kept in mind is that Kuwahara is aiming to provide a less expensive servicé that the town has complete control over. The town can, after all, more readily resolve complaints about its own service, but can do little with a private contractor's. The evidence indicates the town can provide the service at a si'naller cost, however slight that difference(may be. That sjight difference gives control, therefore, it's worth the change.